[She had indeed arrived a few moments earlier, tailed by a little white (allegedly—today he sports traces of brown and grey spots that suggest a recent less than successful emergency bath) dog. She had selected a bench, and had just enough time to consider the possibility that Bastien might not arrive at all, and whether she considered pursuing him in order to upbraid him a worthy pursuit or merely too indictive of the very issue to bother with.
But then he had come after all, and she has patiently not launched directly into her assault the moment she had spotted him working around the garden's covered margins. Now, however—
A brisk nod. Right. With a click of her hard soled boot heels, Wysteria rises from her bench and turns to face him. The small dog leaps down from the bench as well, affecting a posture that anticipates they will momentarily be running off. Instead, Wysteria produces a paper from her pocket. She unfolds it, crisp crackle of paper inaudible over the drizzle of rain off the eaves.]
Point one. Dereliction of duty in a time of extreme duress. I am willing to in part forgive this, given the aforementioned return and effort expended to see the required components retrieved. Thank you. I trust you have thanked everyone who attended to your duties in the interim while they were also engaged with mourning various loved ones and friends. Thank goodness there was no Venatori assault on the main body of Riftwatch in the weeks that followed Granitefell, in which an extra pair of competent hands might have been required.
Point two. [This is not, evidently, the time for him to speak. The breath she requires to fund this is so swiftly sucked down that it hardly qualifies.] Blatant disregard for those who might consider themselves your friends and acquaintances. I must assume you notified at least your division head of your departure, and maintained an orderly record of your various works in progress lest the person who was meant to have picked up after you be further inconvenienced. That said, I find it highly inconsiderate to have departed so abruptly with little to no word spared for the company with whom you have spent these last five years, and who may or may not have at least wished to bid you farewell. It was unfairly done to those people, and it was an unfair affliction to give yourself—this business of pretending no one cares very much for one another.
Point three. Demonstration of a shockingly optimistic assessment of our day to day work which I would not have attributed to any member of this company, much less to a man of your professional capacities. The work of Riftwatch is dangerous. That we do not suffer loss with more frequency is fairly miraculous. It would behoove any member of the company to prepare themselves accordingly. If that is so wholly unpalatable to you, a person who may do as he pleases and go where he wills without restriction or consequence, then I would invite you to strongly consider the merits of your position here and whether it is responsible to pretend at commitment alongside people who have volunteered to face that danger or have little choice but to accept it.
[She lowers the paper. Looks at him. Somewhere in there, the small allegedly white dog has given up and sat down.]
god im sorry
But then he had come after all, and she has patiently not launched directly into her assault the moment she had spotted him working around the garden's covered margins. Now, however—
A brisk nod. Right. With a click of her hard soled boot heels, Wysteria rises from her bench and turns to face him. The small dog leaps down from the bench as well, affecting a posture that anticipates they will momentarily be running off. Instead, Wysteria produces a paper from her pocket. She unfolds it, crisp crackle of paper inaudible over the drizzle of rain off the eaves.]
Point one. Dereliction of duty in a time of extreme duress. I am willing to in part forgive this, given the aforementioned return and effort expended to see the required components retrieved. Thank you. I trust you have thanked everyone who attended to your duties in the interim while they were also engaged with mourning various loved ones and friends. Thank goodness there was no Venatori assault on the main body of Riftwatch in the weeks that followed Granitefell, in which an extra pair of competent hands might have been required.
Point two. [This is not, evidently, the time for him to speak. The breath she requires to fund this is so swiftly sucked down that it hardly qualifies.] Blatant disregard for those who might consider themselves your friends and acquaintances. I must assume you notified at least your division head of your departure, and maintained an orderly record of your various works in progress lest the person who was meant to have picked up after you be further inconvenienced. That said, I find it highly inconsiderate to have departed so abruptly with little to no word spared for the company with whom you have spent these last five years, and who may or may not have at least wished to bid you farewell. It was unfairly done to those people, and it was an unfair affliction to give yourself—this business of pretending no one cares very much for one another.
Point three. Demonstration of a shockingly optimistic assessment of our day to day work which I would not have attributed to any member of this company, much less to a man of your professional capacities. The work of Riftwatch is dangerous. That we do not suffer loss with more frequency is fairly miraculous. It would behoove any member of the company to prepare themselves accordingly. If that is so wholly unpalatable to you, a person who may do as he pleases and go where he wills without restriction or consequence, then I would invite you to strongly consider the merits of your position here and whether it is responsible to pretend at commitment alongside people who have volunteered to face that danger or have little choice but to accept it.
[She lowers the paper. Looks at him. Somewhere in there, the small allegedly white dog has given up and sat down.]
You may defend yourself now.